


"The Date" Chapter 1 (Books)

by sunnywithclouds



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Hogwarts, M/M, Slug Club, Slytherin, Slytherins Being Slytherins, Young Lucius - Freeform, slughorn - Freeform, young Severus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-16 08:33:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21033326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnywithclouds/pseuds/sunnywithclouds
Summary: *This work will probably not receive an update.Lucius wasn't really looking for a date to Professor Slughorn's Christmas Party, but he can't quite resist the temptation to ask Severus to go with him.  It's hard to tell what exactly his motivations are... Even HE isn't completely sure...---------Along with Inktober, it is Fictober! Following a prompt list from Tumblr I'm going to write short fics based around those prompts. A friend doing the same is titling each fic with the prompt so I'm totally copying that. ;)--------





	"The Date" Chapter 1 (Books)

Lucius smiled to himself as he watched a very overladen student walk up the hall towards the dungeon entrance of the Slytherin dorm. He took a few steps towards them and placed a hand on the top of the pile of books they were carrying to halt their progress.

"Now... We can't have piles of books walking around on legs. Ghosts and an unruly poltergeist are one thing, but walking book stacks are clearly another."

Lucius leaned forward and looked over the towering pile of books, smiling at the smaller dark haired boy that was carrying them. "Oh pardon me, Severus, I didn't realize you were piloting this operation. Did you leave some books on the shelves for everyone else?"

"Yes.." Severus said rather defensively, but then relaxed when he looked up and saw that Lucius was smiling at him in that rather impish way he sometimes had. "I wanted to make sure I had enough to read over Christmas holidays."

"Christmas holidays aren't for another two weeks." Lucius said, reaching to pick up the top half of the stack of books Severus was balancing. "Knowing you, you'll be through these in the next few days. Then what?"

"Then I'll get more?" Severus rolled his shoulders a bit when half the book weight disappeared and he let out a soft breath of relief. It had been a long walk from the library.

"I should teach you a spell for moving things so you don't have to strain yourself carrying so many." Lucius balanced the books he was carrying on one hand, smoothing the other onto Severus' back to urge him towards their dormitory doorway.

"I consider it good exercise." Severus said and smiled when the tall blonde boy laughed. There was always something so incredibly rewarding about making Lucius laugh.

"For such a scowling and serious boy, you certainly do know how to look on the bright side. Come, I'll help you carry these to your room."

Lucius and Severus paused in front of the stone wall, giving the password and waiting while the space shifted to allow them entrance. Once inside, Lucius led the way through the common room and down the hall into the younger boy's dorm, setting the books onto the night table next to his bed.

"You read more than anyone I know." Lucius said, reaching to take the rest of the books from Severus, setting them down with the ones he'd been carrying. "And so quickly as well. Like you can't be bothered to wait long enough for something to sink in before you're reading the next lines."

"I like books. I like learning on my own." Severus ran his hand down the spines of the books he'd chosen, reading each title to himself.

"You know where you stand with books." Lucius said after a few moments, speaking in a lower tone than normal, slightly secretive. "People... You can never tell for sure what's actually going on. But books... You know what you're doing with books."

"I've never seen you read." Severus said, looking curiously at Lucius. "But you talk like you love books."

"I do love books and I do an awful lot of reading. I just don't have your ability to concentrate, I never read in the Common Room. I always ready in the dorm and generally after everyone else is asleep."

"Oh..." Severus looked down, feeling a little bad for having thought all along that Lucius was getting through school by virtue of his charm and charisma and not for his actual ability. 

"You thought I was vapid and shallow, didn't you."

"Well..." 

Severus turned a little red and Lucius couldn't help but smile, sitting down on the edge of the younger boy's bed so he could see him properly. "What else did you think of me?"

"Nothing. I don't really know you."

"You don't have to know me to form opinions about me." Lucius crossed his legs then leaned back, putting his hands onto the mattress behind him. "Come now, tell me what you really thought of me, I'm curious. If it's bad maybe you'll let me change your mind."

Severus hesitated, but the bright and open look on Lucius' face was hard to say no to. "I heard you were good at potions."

"Mm.." Lucius nodded once, tilting his head a bit. "And?"

"I figured that you were forcing someone to switch classwork with you to get better grades."

"No offence to my fellow Slytherin classmates, but I wouldn't get any grades aside from 'Dreadful' if I swapped work with them. I do potions myself. I'm quite good at them, though I've heard that you are exceptional."

"Who said that?" Severus asked, hesitating for a moment, then moving to sit down next to Lucius on his bed.

"Professor Slughorn himself. You've impressed the person you definitely want to impress."

Lucius turned his head when after a few moments Severus didn't say anything, smiling a bit when he saw the extremely pleased look on the younger boy's face. He liked Severus a great deal. The younger boy was quiet and truthfully a bit cowardly when it came to bullies. But he spoke his mind, he tried to stand up for himself as best he could for someone so slight. He loved to learn and he was incredibly bright.

"I'd be incredibly surprised if he didn't ask you to start coming to Slug Club get togethers next year. Actually.." Lucius smiled brightly, turning a bit towards the other boy. "He's having another Christmas party. He claims it's a big deal and a place for connections, honestly I just like going for the food. Do you want to come with me?"

Severus jerked his head around to stare at the older boy, his eyes narrowing as he tried to read in his face for any joke or any trick that might be there. Unable to see ANY reason why tall, beautiful and charismatic Prefect Lucius Malfoy would ask HIM to go with him to the Slug Club Christmas party.

"Why?" He eventually asked, unable to actually read anything into the older boy. "Why would you ask me when there's probably dozens of girls falling all over themselves wanting to do anything to be your date."

Lucius wrinkled his nose slightly as he looked at Severus. "I don't like girls."

The four words hung between them like a physical thing as the silence stretched. Lucius was looking levelly at Severus who was looking back at him in surprise, first. Then surprise gave way to understanding.

"I don't either." The younger boy said, turning to look forward again, digesting this information. 

"Then will you be my date?" 

"Like.. actual date? Or just go with you?"

Lucius smiled, leaning over enough to speak close to Severus' ear. "Actual date would be so much more fun..."

Severus shivered and Lucius smiled a little more, moving one hand out to lightly trail his finger down the younger boy's back. "You don't HAVE to say yes if you don't want to. I want you to come because you actually want to, not because you think you should say yes to me."

"I want to." Severus said after a few moments, shyly turning his head to look at the other boy. "I'd love to."

"Really?" Lucius asked, absolutely beaming. He laughed when Severus nodded, clapping his hands together a couple of times. "Oh this will be lovely... It's formal, is that alright?"

"I don't have dress robes but I can get some. So long as I have time?"

"You do... But, may I get some for you?" Lucius asked, tilting his head a bit as he smiled at the younger boy. "I asked you, you shouldn't have to spend a bunch of gold you didn't plan on. And I'd actually really enjoy it."

"If you... Really want to?" Severus ventured, not sure how he felt about this, caught somewhere between uncomfortable and really pleased.

"I do." Lucius nodded a couple of times and got to his feet. "I'll take care of everything you'll need. You just need to dress and show up."

"I can do that."

Lucius smiled once more at the younger boy, then reached over to smooth a hand over his hair and along his jaw. "Thank you. I would have had to say yes to one of the girls without you. Now I'll really enjoy going."

Lucius let his fingers fall away from the side of Severus' jaw, straightening up again to wander to the door. He paused there to look back at the younger boy, really very pleased he'd agreed to go to the party with him. He hadn't come into this with the idea to ask him, but the opportunity was just too good to pass up.

For so many reasons.


End file.
